About.me on Blogger

Great news! Now you can embed your About.me on Blogger. The steps are simple and the results are great.

Get the embed code from your About.me account Dashboard. Copy it. In Blogger, go to Layout and add a new Gadget for HTML/JavaScript. Paste the code in the Gadget and save the arrangement. Now you can view the blog and enjoy the new feature. It looks like the image below.

What is on in Math with EdTech at KIS?

Action Research: Gamification in the Teaching of the Scientific Method

Gamification in the Teaching of the Scientific Method.pdf Download this file

I'm very excited to share this Action Research project with the educational world. Working with one of the KIS Biology teachers, Jeff Boyce, we looked into the use of games in the teaching of the scientific method. This PDF version of the results is free for all to download, use, and build upon. I have uploaded it to the iBook Store, but while we wait for it to appear in the store, and for those who don't use an iPad, I have supplied it. 

Enjoy!

Blogger Blog Traffic Information

One thing I do prefer about my Blogger account is the detailed information I receive about the traffic to my blog. Look at the detail! I receive information about the type of computer viewers used as well as the specific browser. I'm not exactly sure what I would be this this level of detail as a teacher,  but if I was a company, it would be great information to know about the people viewing my blog. Apparently most of my traffic is from people using either Chrome or Firefox and they are from the US and Korea.

Blogger Blog Traffic Information

One thing I do prefer about my Blogger account is the detailed information I receive about the traffic to my blog. Look at the detail! I receive information about the type of computer viewers used as well as the specific browser. I'm not exactly sure what I would be this this level of detail as a teacher,  but if I was a company, it would be great information to know about the people viewing my blog. Apparently most of my traffic is from people using either Chrome or Firefox and they are from the US and Korea.

Chrome App: PDF to Word File Converter

So you have a PDF file and you want to edit it. What do you do? Nothing, because PDF files convert poorly into Word or Pages files, right? In the past, yes, but now you can! The Chrome App PDF to Word Converter will convert the PDF file to a Word file and keep the formatting. Your old problems are gone -- now you can convert any PDF into a usable document file that can be edited. The user interface (UI) is simple and easy to use (image below). 

Chrome App: PDF to Word File Converter

 

So you have a PDF file and you want to edit it. What do you do? Nothing, because PDF files convert poorly into Word or Pages files, right? In the past, yes, but now you can! The Chrome App PDF to Word Converter will convert the PDF file to a Word file and keep the formatting. Your old problems are gone -- now you can convert any PDF into a usable document file that can be edited. The user interface (UI) is simple and easy to use (image below). 

Joining and Editing a Posterous Space for Beginners

If you are building a collaborative online environment with Posterous, you will probably have some people who don't know how to join or edit the space. This guide will help them with the basics. For those who aren't members Posterous, they will use the directions in the photo below.

For members who have a Posterous, they will use this screen to sign in.

Once they are logged in they will see their personal dashboard where they can access all of their spaces.

They will be able to choose the space that they are wanting to edit and they will see the dashboard for the specific space.

Once in the dashboard for the specific space, they will be able to click the Pages & Links button to reach the editor.

Contributors can add their content and then save the page.

See the full gallery on Posterous

iPad App Review: Action Movie

I plan to add more content on my blog about iPad and Chrome Apps that have useful features for educators, but this time I have something that is simply fun. Although, for your students that like to create movies, this app will certainly inspire them; especially the boys, stereotypes are sometimes true. Action Movie FX is a free app that operates on the in-app store model. For those not in the know, apps like this are free to download and provide free features, but you can expand the apps abilities by purchasing within the app. In this case, you can purchase more effects in sets of two for 99 cents. Not a bad price considering what you get, because this app is tons of fun.

The UI (user interface) looks a little busy at first, but it is simple to use. Clicking on the effect will provide a preview of what it does.  When in preview mode, click the preview screen and you are ready to shoot your film clip. In the filming UI, you will have a target to guide you. Place the target on the object you want to destroy and tap the record button in the lower right side of the screen. A red edge will appear around the perimeter of the screen and when you have captured enough video, it will change to green and you can stop recording. Your video clip will process and you will be able to watch the destruction you created. You can share this clip to your iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone camera roll or Facebook. Through the camera roll saving you can use it in iMovie on your device or load it to iPhoto on your computer for use in your laptop/desktop iMovie. I have added a couple of examples to this post, but these are low quality versions, you can export the clips in HD. Let the good times roll!